The BC Cancer Agency is celebrating the 20th anniversary of its screening mammography program.
This program is the first of its kind in Canada, and it's played a key role in the battle against breast cancer.
Four million mammogram screenings have been done since the program first started in July of 1988. Every year, it' expanding. In 2007, the SMP screened over 277,000 women.
"We're looking at about 290,000 this coming fiscal year, we'd like to add about 16,000 a year over the next decade,'' said Dr. Linda Warren, provincial chief radiologist for the screening mammography program, BC Cancer Agency.
Regular screening mammograms have been shown to reduce the death rate from breast cancer in B.C. by about 25 per cent. The earlier a cancerous lesion is detected, the better the chance for a cure.
Jean Orr was the first woman in BC to receive a screening mammogram from the BC Cancer Agency.
"I had a scare after finding a lump in my breast when I was carrying my fourth child. Thankfully, it was benign,'' said Orr, who at 78, is a retired ballet dancer.
She said the incident served as another reminder of the importance of regular screening mammograms.
The program now offers three mobile clinics that travel to communities across B.C. and has introduced a fast track program which reduces time between abnormal screening and diagnosis.
With a report by CTV British Columbia's Dr. Rhonda Low.
